Thrifty Gardening by Country Women's Association of Victoria Inc.

WELCOME

It is with much pleasure that we, The Country Women’s Association of Victoria Inc, share with you this third book in our Thrifty series, our seasonal hints for thrifty gardening. This book is not intended as an academic guide to plants and climate, but rather as a little book of tried and tested hints, tips and, of course, recipes for use no matter where you live in Australia. Not all plants will grow everywhere, as we know you understand.

In the first book of this series, Thrifty Household, we shared our ideas on how to reuse and upcycle, and how to make environmentally sustainable cleaning and beauty products. The second book, Thrifty Cooking, shared our hints, ideas and recipes for making nourishing, economical meals, including how to use up leftovers and avoid wasting food.

Now, in Thrifty Gardening, along with seasonal hints and ideas, we also include new delicious recipes to use the produce you have grown in your garden. The global pandemic, with its many lockdowns and restrictions, had us all looking to our homes and gardens for solace, entertainment, exercise and a simpler, more organic, way of life. It has been proven that gardening is very good for our mental – as well as our physical – health. No matter the size of your garden, please make room to grow something.

It is our wish to demystify gardening for you, and to encourage you to get your hands dirty and grow plants. Whether you have a large country garden, full of thriving fruit trees, vegetable and flower beds, or you live in a small apartment in the inner city with some pots on a balcony, there will be ideas here to inspire you.

Gardening is good for the soul. It gives back to us – in enjoyment and beautiful produce to eat – multiplying many times the effort that we put in. With current cost of living increases putting stress on household budgets, this book is a timely reminder that, with a little effort, you can take some pressure off the weekly food bill, support your family’s food security, improve family nutrition, and grow community by swapping or sharing excess produce, preserves or plants.

Gardens are wonderful for children. They love getting their hands dirty and helping to grow and nurture flowers and vegetables. In every seasonal chapter of this book, you’ll find fun craft projects to make with children, whether that’s Christmas decorations and gifts, saving and giving away seeds, or helping to build insect hotels and observe the natural world.

By taking a sustainable, whole-environment approach to our gardens, we understand and appreciate that actions taken by us have a cumulative effect on the world around us. We have advised natural pest control wherever possible, and given hints on building up the soil to make it as healthy as you can, so that your plants can fight off disease and pests. We have also included plenty of hints for encouraging pollinators, such as bees and lacewings, and helpful garden predators into your garden. It’s all much easier if you work as a team with nature.

Happy gardening.

Pam Mawson State President

Thyme

Laying the Groundwork

PLANNING A NEW GARDEN

If you’re starting a new garden, take time to get to know your site. What direction does your home face? Is your block sloping? If so, is it on such a slope that you need to build terraces to maximise growing area and prevent soil and water run-off from your block? Terracing doesn’t need to be flashy and expensive: some recycled timber might be all you need to build up the area a little.

Some soil testing (soil testing kits are readily available from hardware stores) before you start will be economical in the long run – it will prevent you wasting money on plants not suited to your soil and also show you what you might need to do to improve the soil before planting (see Improving and caring for your soil, page 14).

Not every garden needs lawn. Lawns require water during our dry summers to stay green. The water used to keep your lawn green could perhaps be better used to grow more food for your family.

Pavers make an attractive alternative to lawn in a smaller area. Break up the expanse of pavers by planting between them. Plants best used in this way are the small sedums. Or make it a productive idea by planting varieties of thyme.: their growth is low and soft and will break up the hard look of the pavers.

Using gravel with pavers as a footpath is also attractive and saves water. Plant little mounds of plants such as lavender, lambs' ears, thymes and sedums in an abstract pattern throughout the gravel area. Choose plants with contrasting foliage and shape to add interest.

Which area of your garden gets maximum sunshine? This will be the spot to put your vegetable garden or sun-loving plants such as roses, perennials or succulents. If you’re installing water tanks to catch run-off from your roof, position them so they’re not taking up space in your sunny growing areas.

When choosing the site for your vegetable garden, make sure it gets at least 6–8 hours of sunshine every day. Grow what you and your family like to eat. There is no point growing for the sake of it, and it’s wasteful to use space to grow a vegetable or fruit that no one enjoys.

If you have a spot that is dark and gets little sun, make a garden bed of shade-loving plants such as clivia (dry shade), plectranthus, hostas and hydrangeas (damp shade). Plants with white flowers will brighten a shady area.

Don’t plant climbing plants on a surface such as a brick wall if that wall gets full northern sun. It may burn your plants. And always check how vigorous your climber is and how big it is likely to grow before deciding where to plant it.

If you have a small garden, don’t think you can only have small pots. A few large pots on large pavers planted out with larger plants can make a small area feel bigger than it is.

If you have a small garden area, break up different areas with some screening so that you can’t see the whole garden in one glance. Link it all together with some repeat plantings or the same materials, such as pavers.

Carrots, parsnips and other root crops

Sow carrot seed in a bed that was fertilised last season. If you plant carrot seed into freshly fertilised soil, you may get forked carrots.

Mix carrot seed with sand to sow it. One or 2 packets of carrot seed to a margarine carton-sized container of sand. Mix together well with your hands. Make a shallow row, and gently pour the sand–seed mixture along the row. No need to cover up with dirt. Pour boiling water down the row to break the hard outer husk of the carrot seed and allow easy germination. Thin out the little carrot seedlings if too many germinate.

Chill parsnip seeds in the fridge for several weeks before sowing in early Spring (mid-September). When parsnip seed is sown chilled, it triggers the response to come out of hibernation and germinate. It is important to sow fresh parsnip seed. Buy or save fresh seed every year for a good germination. Discard any left from the previous year.

Soak beetroot seed for half an hour before sowing. It softens the hard outer shell, but make sure you do actually sow the seed after soaking or it will rot.

Sow seeds – not seedlings – of root crops such as parsnips, carrots, turnips and beetroot. They don’t transplant well as seedlings and will grow quicker from seed.

Turnips are one of the easiest and quickest crops to germinate. Plant a row in early Spring then, 6 weeks later, another row. Pull up when small and sweet. Steam briefly and serve with butter and white pepper.

Sow seeds of swede turnip in November. It keeps well in the garden and is a good crop for picking all through late Autumn and Winter. White cabbage moths love the leaves of swede turnips so sprinkle the young plants in Summer with derris dust (don’t harvest within a day). When the swede turnip bulbs have matured, they will survive in the ground even if white cabbage moth eats most of the leaves.

At the beginning of Spring, you might find that crops such as carrots, parsnips and leeks that have been providing abundantly over Winter, run to seed as soon as the warmer weather comes. Don’t throw them out too quickly – you can cut out the woody core in the middle of the vegetable and still use the parts growing around the woody middle.

Thrifty Tip

Large glass jars turned upside-down make perfect mini glasshouses over seedlings.

Vegetable and fruit garden jobs Spring

Flower seedlings to plant in Summer

Petunias are easy to grow and flower through Summer into Autumn. Continue dead-heading spent flowers to keep the floral display going. A few spreading petunias cascading out of a hanging basket will give months of colour.

Plant marigolds (calendula), pansies, primulas, dianthus, alyssum, salvia, zinnia, nemesia, wall flowers.

Be wary when handling plants with milky secretions, such as the euphorbia genus. The milky sap is extremely irritating to skin and eyes.

SUMMER JOBS IN THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN

Avoid watering in the middle of a hot day – either water in the early morning or evening. In the middle of a hot day water evaporates quickly, which is a waste. Water sitting on the leaves can also magnify the sun’s rays and scorch your plants.

Better to water deeply once a week. This encourages plants to send their roots down deep looking for water, and they are less likely to suffer heat stress.

‘Train’ your plants to grow with less water. If you water frequently but not deeply, the plants will grow shallow roots and will not have the resilience to come through a dry period.

In hot weather, you may need to water plants in pots daily, but check first with your finger to see if the pots have dried out. Mulching your garden will keep the plant roots cool and help stop water evaporating.

In a burst of very windy hot weather keep an eye on new seedlings. Shade with an old cotton bed sheet, if necessary, to prevent burning and drying out.

Vegetable and fruit garden jobs

Recipes using the fruits and vegetables of Autumn

Rhubarb Cinnamon Muffins

m AKES 12

2 heaped cups self-raising flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¹/³ cup caster sugar ½ cup grapeseed oil 1 egg 1 cup milk (or buttermilk) 2 rhubarb stalks, finely chopped t OPPI n G 25 g butter, melted 3 teaspoons sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Mix together the flour, cinnamon and caster sugar and make a well. Mix together the oil, egg and milk and pour into the well. Stir together lightly. Do not beat or overmix.

Stir in the rhubarb. Spoon into the muffin cases. Bake for 20 minutes. When they come out of the oven, brush melted butter over them and sprinkle thickly with the cinnamon sugar.